Apparatus for filling berry containers



May 4, 1943.

G. HARRISON 2,318,483 APPARATUS FOR FILLING BERRY CONTAINERS Filed June 24, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l i9 ,1? 1a a 17 16 /7.

INVENTOR 1 g firm-raw BY z ATTORNEY May 4, 1943. G. HARRISON APPARATUS FOR FILLING BERRY CONTAINERS Filed June 24, 1941 2 Sheets+Sheet 2 INVENTOR g m gaff/730w BY 4 ATTORNEY Patented May 4, 1943 APPARATUS FOR FILLING Benny CONTAINERS Gale Harrison, Ivanhoe, N. 0.

Application June 24, 1941, Serial No. 399,551

8 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for use in filling berry containers. When berries are picked for sale they are usually placed by the picker directly into small containers or boxes usually of thin wood, and are brought to the packin house or place where the finishing operations necessary for shipment are performed.

The picker usually leaves the boxes about level full so that no berries will roll or be shaken off during the carrying of the boxes from the field to the packing house. Then-since, for example, a pint box is usually made too small to actually hold a pint when only level fullan additional operation, generally referred to as topping must be performed, as the picker or shipper tries to deliver a full pint of berries to the customer, taking into account the shrinkage which occurs during the transportation operations; and unless .the boxes are well rounded up, the customer will not be attracted by a container in which the berries are below or much below the level of the top of the box.

Up to the present time, as far as I am aware, this topping operation has been done by hand,

girls usually being employed for that purpose.

In the topping operation, one hand of the operator is cupped and held at one corner of the container and a certain quantity of berries is poured into the container with the other hand from another container. This operation is repeated at all four corners of the container which by this time is Well filled with the berries heaped quite high in the center, after which a suitable covering such as Cellophane is placed over the entire top and fastened to the container.

No two operators can do this work uniformly and the expense of doing it is quite an item. It is therefore the object of my invention to provide an apparatus which will uniformly do this extra.

filling or topping operation for small fruits, berries and the like that are sold in small containers such as wooden pint boxes or cups as they are sometimes called, and while attaining the general object, a further object is to reduce the cost of performing this topping operation.

The apparatus which I have developed for this purpose is shown in the annexed drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus with the topping lid thrown back, showing a container in place on the base portion of the apparatus, ready to be toppedl Figure 2 is a side view of the apparatus with the topping lid turned downwardly over the container in position, ready to receive the topping berries. Thisfigure also shows one method of settling the berries in the box or container.

Figure 3 is a view looking down at the topof Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a View of a portion of the base with a vibrator such as shown in Figure 2 mounted thereon for settling the berries in the container. Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, but showing a further modified form of settling means. In the various views wherein like numbers refer to corresponding parts, I is the base portion of the apparatus, having holes 2 and 3 in diagonally opposite parts for holding the base onto some bench or support 4. Extending upwardly from one end of the base I, is a member 5 to which is pivotally mounted a lid 6 which I term a topping lid.

The lid 6 has two side arms I and 8 carrying pivotal screws 9v and I0 which are shown in Figure 1 as wood screws asthe apparatus can be readily made of wood or some other satisfactory material. To hold the arms I and 8 in spaced relation from the sides of the member 5, Iprefer to use metal washers II and I2 through whieh the pivotal screws Sand It pass, first going through a hole in metalstrips l3 and I4 which are fastened to the side arms! and 8 in any satisfactory manner as by small clips or nails l5 which may be driven into the wood and bent over as indicated in the fastener shown adjacent the screw [0. The use of the metal strips l3 and I4 and their corresponding washers II and I2 provides a metallic bearing for the topping lid.

The topping lid is shaped to fit the berry box, which is usually square about as indicated in Figures 2, 3 and 4. The lid is open at the top and this opening, defined by the boundary line I6, is much smaller than the top of the container C, and the inner surface of the lid slopes downwardly toward the outer side of the box as indicated by the line ll, and then preferably has a sharper slope from the point l8 where the edge of the box meets the slope 11 to the outer edge 19 of the lid. The outer surface of the lid, above the boundary line 16, has a slope definedby the line 20 as clearly indicated in Figure 4.

After the lid has been moved over the container 'as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the berries are poured through the opening boundedby the line it until they are. approximately up. to, thefjimgtion of the lines I! and. 20. With certain berries, such as blueberries freshly picked, it is the usual practice of the operator to then press slightly downward on the berries at the four corners, or the lid may be gently tapped to make the final settling of the berries. After this is done, the lid may be turned backward to the position shown in Figure 1 without disturbing any of the berries applied during the topping operation just described. The Cellophane covering is then applied which permanently holds the berries in place for shipment. Since the topping operation is defined by a definite boundary line it, the operation will be uniform in its result and thecost of this is only about one-third of the old method previously described. H

Due to the inwardly inclined surface 20 on the outer part of the lid, no berries-are spilled out on the table or bench during the topping operation. In order to positively hold the lid in its dis charging position as indicated in Figure 1, I prefer to use torsion springs 2 [and 22 which are held to the lid and the base by any satisfactory means such as eye screws 29. When the lid is turned upwardly to the position shown in Figure 1, these springs will be back of the pivots 9 and i and will hold the rear member 28 of the lid in contact with the top part of the member 5. At the same time, when the lid is moved forwardly to topping position, the springs will snap the lid into place over the container, making a very quick and positive operation.

Toassist in placing the container on the base I, the base is preferably provided with two guide strips 23 and 24, the outer ends of which are preferably beveled inwardly at the inner front corners 25. The side guides 23 and 24, together with a back-stop 26, position the container on the base so that the lid will have no difficulty in finding its position on the top of the container.

It may be noted in passing that the member has its inner edgebeveled downwardly at 21 to provide clearance for the cross-piece 28 of the lid. 2 e

Preferably, the base or member 5 may carry a stop plate 30 to prevent the topping-lid from going all the way down to the-base member I when nocontainer is in position, but when the container is in-position to be filled, a clearance 3| exists between the lid and the stop plate 30.

While a separate or independent lid might be used and placed over the container, I prefer the structure as shown and described, for the reason that the lid may be made lighter and, by reason of the pull on the springs, will accomplish the same result of holding the container firmly on the base portion I as would a heavier independent lid. Besides, the preferred construction described saves a hand-lifting and placing operation which would be necessary with a separate lid.

Reference has been made to tapping the lid to settle the berries in the box or container. This settling action may be done by using an electrically operated tapper of the vibrator type which will apply light blows or taps to the structure, either to the base which supports the container as shown by V in Figure 5, or the vibrator may be applied to the lid 6 as show at V (see Figure 2). As an alternative, means, such as a motor M, may be used for operating a cam 32 to raise slightly the forward end of the structure and then letting it drop downonto the bench or support, it being understood that'its mounting will allow this action. The can 32 may be manually or electrically operated as by a motor M which has a cam 32 operated by the motor shaft.

Other changes in the details, such as the angularity of the slopes ll, I8 and 20, may be varied to suit the containers and types of berries to be handled, but all such changes are believed to come within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for the purpose described comprising a base to receive a berry container, a member extending upwardly from the base and a lid pivotally mounted on said member, the lid having a form to fit over the top of the container and having an opening in the top, the

boundary of this opening being a substantial distance toward the center of the container from its edges and below the plane of the top of the lid, the lid having, on both the inner and outer sides, slanting surfaces toward the outer parts of the lid from said boundary line, the'inner slanting surface engaging the periphery of the container.

2. An apparatus for the purpose described comprising a base to receive a berry container, a member extending upwardly from one end of the base and a lid pivotally mounted on said member with spring means extending between the base and lid for holding the lid in open position and also to assist in holding it firmly on a container when moved thereto, the lid having a form to fit over the top'of the container and having an opening in thetop, the boundary of this opening being a substantial distance toward the center of the container from its edges and below the plane of the top of the lid, the lid having, on both the inner and outer sides, slanting surfaces toward the outer parts of the lid from said boundary line, the inner slanting surface engaging the periphery of the container.

3; An apparatus for the purpose described comprising a base having guide and stop means for positioning a container thereon, a support on said base, alid pivotally carried on said support above and over the base and spring means for holding the lid in'open position or in engagement with a container when the lid is moved to either of said positions, the lid having an opening over the container, the rim of the opening being positioned intermediate the ends of the thickness dimension of the lid and having slanting inner andouter surfaces from this rim toward the outer parts of the lid, the inner slanting surface engaging the periphery of the container. 7

i. An apparatus for the purpose described comprising a base having guide and stop means for positioning a container thereon, a support on said base, a lid pivotally carried on said support above and over the base and spring means for holding the lid in one of two positions, the lid having an opening below its top surface defined by a boundary similar in shape to but much smaller than the top of the container, the lid having outer and inner slanting surfaces from said boundary,ith'e'inner slanting surfaces engaging the edges of the container on a line near the center lines of said surfaces.

5. An apparatus for the purpose described comprising a base to receive a berry container, a lid for fittingover the container, the lid having an opening defined by an edge formed by the meeting of slanting surfaceson the upper and lower sides of the. lid, the said'surfaces onthe upper side of the lid slanting inwardly and downwardly,

while the said surfaces on the lower side of the lid slant inwardly and upwardly, the said surfaces on the lower side engaging the rim of the container a substantial distance from the rim of the opening as and for the purpose described.

6. An apparatus for the purpose described com prising a base to receive a berry container, a lid for fitting over the container, the lid having an opening defined by an edge formed by the meeting of slanting surfaces on the upper and lower sides of the lid, the said surfaces on the upper side of the lid slanting inwardly and downwardly, while the said surfaces on the lower side of the lid slant inwardly and upwardly, the said surfaces on the lower side engaging the rim of the container a substantial distance from the rim of the opening, the said slanting surfaces on the lower side of the lid having a sharper pitch, from lines where the edges of the container engage the lid, to the outer parts of the lid.

'7. An apparatus for the purpose described comprising a base having guide and stop means for positioning a container thereon, a supporton said base, a lid pivotally carried on said support above and over the base and spring means for holding the lid in one of two positions, the lid having an opening below its top surface defined by a boundary similar in shape to but much smaller than the top of the container, the lid having, at least on its inner portion, slanting surfaces from said boundary toward the outer portions of the lid, the slanting surfaces being divided into two sections, the outer section having a sharper pitch than the inner section, and the lid being adapted to engage the edges of the container where the two sections join.

8. A structure for the purpose described comprising a base to receive a berry container, a lid for fitting over the container, the lid having an opening defined by an edge formed by the meeting of slanting surfaces on the upper and lower sides of the lid, the said surfaces on the upper side of the lid slanting inwardly and downwardly, while the said surfaces on the lower side of the lid slant inwardly and upwardly, said surfaces on the lower sides engaging the rim of the container a substantial distance from the rim of the opening, and means for transmitting vibrations to the structure for settling the berries in the container.

GALE HARRISON. 

